The innovation landscape I have sketched previously suggests that there could be some kind of symmetry. The third quadrant (disruptive) should have some similarity with the second quadrant (research), shouldn't it?
Research is often characterised as the act of intense and structured search. Though this view is not wrong, it doesn't get to the core of what research is and what it is about. Let's explore.
There are two distinct boundaries in the innovation landscape. One boundary separates the known ideas from novel ideas. The other boundary divides the landscape into the areas of known problems on one side and unknown or unacknowledged problems on the other. Both are boundaries between the unknown and the unknown, hence these boundaries will be pushed forward everytime of novel idea is developed or a new problem is encountered.
So far I've charted the innovation landscape along two axes: the demand for problem solutions and the supply of ideas for potential solutions. Today, I'll explore this concept further, focusing on rules and tools: to what extent do we have rules in place and tools available to facilitate and promote the innovation we need?
In the spirit of "A picture says more than a thousand words", I feel the need to come up with a graphical depiction of the innovation landscape; to recap some of the earlier ideas, to develop them further, and to cover new ground. Let's have a look.
understanding innovation 